Bobby Elliott

Last updated

Bobby Elliott
2017 The Hollies - Bobby Elliott - by 2eight - 8SC7061.jpg
Elliott performing with The Hollies in 2017.
Background information
Birth nameRobert Hartley Elliott
Born (1941-12-08) 8 December 1941 (age 82)
Burnley, Lancashire, England
GenresRock
InstrumentDrums
Years active1950s–present
Member of The Hollies
Formerly of Shane Fenton and the Fentones
Website http://www.hollies.co.uk

Robert Hartley Elliott (born 8 December 1941) [1] is an English rock drummer, best known for playing with the Hollies. He has been described as "one of the very finest drummers in all of pop/rock". [2]

Contents

Early life

Elliott discovered jazz music when he was around 10 or 11 and wanted to become a drummer. [3] He attended Nelson Grammar School. Elliott taught himself how to play the drums, by using home-made brushes and sticks, on tins and other household items, and copying the playing of Chico Hamilton of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet and Gene Krupa of the Benny Goodman Orchestra. [3] At first, he was a jazz drummer, but changed to rock and roll. [4]

Career

Shane Fenton and the Fentones

Elliott was an original member of Johnny Theakston and the Tremeloes, who formed in 1959, and were fronted by the vocalist Johnny Theakston. [5] In late 1960 they sent a demo tape to BBC Radio's Saturday Club, calling themselves Shane Fenton and the Fentones, but Theakston died before they received a reply. Having been offered an audition, the band's roadie Bernard Jewry (later known as Alvin Stardust), stepped in as vocalist, adopting the stage name “Shane Fenton” at Theakston's mother's request. [5] In 1961, Tommy Sanderson became their manager, and negotiated a record deal with EMI who released "I'm a Moody Guy", which reached 22 on the UK singles chart. [6] The next three singles failed to chart, and the band broke up in April 1963. [5]

The Hollies

Elliot with The Hollies in 1965. Bobby Elliott.png
Elliot with The Hollies in 1965.

Bobby played in Ricky Shaw and the Dolphins, a band led by guitarist Tony Hicks who left to join the Hollies. Shortly after, Don Rathbone left the Hollies and Elliott replaced him. [2]

The Hollies would quickly garner a cult following after their songs Here I Go Again, Look Through Any Window, and Just One Look charted in the British charts. Future hits would include: "Bus Stop", "On a Carousel", "Carrie Anne", "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and "The Air That I Breathe", among others. As of 2024, Elliott and Hicks still tour with the Hollies.

In September 1973, they were working on the opening track for their Hollies album, when Paul McCartney offered him the position of drummer in his band Wings, but Elliott declined due to commitments with the Hollies, saying his "heart was with the Hollies". [7] [8] The Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. Elliott and Hicks didn't attend the ceremony as they were booked to play a gig with the band in London at the London Palladium. [9]

Personal life

Prominent drummers who were influenced by Elliott include Gilson Lavis, Ric Lee, Cozy Powell and Ian Paice. [10]

Elliott’s hair began thinning at a young age (around the time the Hollies took off). So on stage, he would wear a variety of hats to cover up his balding. This decision would eventually inspire more artists (balding or not) to wear hats on stage, helping to bring wearing hats into Rock and Roll. [11] By the 1970s, Elliott had gone completely bald and eventually, Elliott, a blonde, started wearing a long brunette wig on stage. This wig can be seen on the cover of their 1974 "Hollies" album.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvin Stardust</span> English singer (1942–2014)

Bernard William Jewry, known professionally as Shane Fenton and later as Alvin Stardust, was an English rock singer and stage actor. Performing first as Shane Fenton in the 1960s, Jewry had a moderately successful career in the pre-Beatles era, hitting the UK top 40 with four singles in 1961–62. However, he became better known for singles released in the 1970s and 1980s as Alvin Stardust, a character he began in the glam rock era, with hits including the UK Singles Chart-topper "Jealous Mind", as well as later hits such as "Pretend" and "I Feel Like Buddy Holly".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hollies</span> English pop rock group formed in the early 1960s

The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and rhythm guitarist/singer Graham Nash founded the band as a Merseybeat-type group in Manchester, although some of the band members came from towns further north, in east Lancashire. Nash left the group in 1968 to co-form Crosby, Stills & Nash, though he has reunited with the Hollies on occasion. As well as Clarke and Nash other members have included lead guitarist Tony Hicks, rhythm guitarist Terry Sylvester, bassists Eric Haydock and Bernie Calvert, and drummers Don Rathbone and Bobby Elliott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan Clarke (singer)</span> British rock singer and songwriter (born 1942)

Harold Allan Clarke is an English rock singer, who was one of the founding members and the original lead singer of the Hollies. He achieved international hit singles with the group and is credited as co-writer on several of their best-known songs, including "On a Carousel", "Carrie Anne", "Jennifer Eccles" and "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress". He retired from performing in 1999, but returned to the music industry in 2019. Clarke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Hicks</span> English guitarist and singer (born 1945)

Anthony Christopher Hicks is an English guitarist and singer who has been a member of the British rock/pop band the Hollies since 1963, and as such was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. His main roles within the band are lead guitarist and backing singer.

<i>Stay with the Hollies</i> 1964 studio album by the Hollies

Stay with the Hollies, also known by its American release title Here I Go Again, is the debut album by the British rock band the Hollies and was released in January 1964 on Parlophone Records. In Canada, it was released on Capitol in July 1964, with a different track listing. In the US, Imperial Records issued the album under the title Here I Go Again in June 1964 to capitalize on the moderate success of the singles "Here I Go Again" and "Just One Look". It also features covers of well-known R&B songs, not unusual for Beat groups of the day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernie Calvert</span> Musical artist

Bernard Bamford Calvert is an English musician who played bass guitar with The Hollies from 1966 until 1981.

<i>Hollies</i> (1974 album) 1974 studio album by The Hollies

Hollies is the 14th UK studio album by the English pop rock group the Hollies, released in 1974, marking the return of Allan Clarke after he had left for a solo career. It features the band's cover of Albert Hammond's ballad "The Air That I Breathe," a major worldwide hit that year. The album has the same title as the band's third album from 1965.

Shane Fenton and the Fentones were an English rock and roll group formed in Mansfield in 1960. Shane Fenton, the band's namesake, was actually the stage name of two different musicians; when the first Shane Fenton, real name Johnny Theakston, suddenly died, he was replaced by Bernard Jewry who assumed the Shane Fenton identity. They had four top 40 hits with Jewry as their lead singer. Jewry would later find fame as Alvin Stardust.

<i>The Hollies Greatest Hits</i> (1973 album) 1973 greatest hits album by The Hollies

The Hollies' Greatest Hits is a compilation of singles by the Hollies, released on Epic Records in April 1973. It includes hit singles by the group on both the Epic and Imperial labels over a time span of 1965 to 1971. It spent seven weeks on the Billboard 200 charts, peaking at number 156.

<i>Confessions of the Mind</i>

Confessions of the Mind is the tenth studio album by the Hollies. It was released in the United States as Moving Finger, with a different track sequence and the tracks "Separated" and "I Wanna Shout" replaced with the Clarke/Sylvester penned "Marigold: Gloria Swansong" saved from the previous album and "Gasoline Alley Bred". In Germany, it was released by Hansa as Move On with an alternate track sequence with "Gasoline Alley Bred" added. The UK version peaked at number 30 in the charts and the US version at number 183.

<i>Hollies Sing Hollies</i> 1969 studio album by The Hollies

Hollies Sing Hollies is the ninth studio album released in the UK by the Hollies. It was released in November 1969 by Parlophone. It was their second album that year, coming 6 months after an entire album of Bob Dylan covers. It was their first album of original compositions since the departure of Graham Nash. It was also the second album by the Hollies to feature Terry Sylvester and the first to feature his compositions, as well as an instrumental by bassist Bernie Calvert. The US version, titled "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", included the hit single of the same name, while omitting the tracks "Soldier's Dilemma" and "Marigold/Gloria Swansong". The UK album did not chart, but its US version peaked at number 32.

<i>Another Night</i> (Hollies album) 1975 studio album by The Hollies

Another Night is the 15th UK studio album by English rock/pop band, the Hollies. It is the band's second album with returning vocalist Allan Clarke who rejoined in 1974 for the album Hollies, after leaving for a solo career in 1972. The album is made up of original material, with the exception of "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" by the relatively unknown Bruce Springsteen.

<i>Write On</i> (album) 1976 studio album by The Hollies

Write On is the first of two 1976 studio albums by the English rock/pop band, the Hollies, and their 16th UK studio album. Like the previous one, this album has mostly songs written by the group's songwriting team. The final track of the album is the only one not composed by them. This album was not issued in the US.

<i>A Crazy Steal</i> 1978 studio album by the Hollies

A Crazy Steal is a UK studio album by English rock/pop group the Hollies. It includes their version of Emmylou Harris' "Boulder to Birmingham", which had been released two years prior, reaching number 10 in the charts in New Zealand. Three other songs from this album were released in 1977, and 1978 as singles, yet failed to chart anywhere.

<i>Five Three One - Double Seven O Four</i> 1979 studio album by The Hollies

Five Three One - Double Seven O Four is the 19th UK studio album by the English rock/pop group the Hollies. When rendered as digits, the album title is the band's name upside down in digital number view. The idea is credited to guitarist Terry Sylvester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On a Carousel</span> 1967 song by the Hollies

"On a Carousel" is a song written by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash and Tony Hicks. It was released by the Hollies as a single in February 1967, having been recorded the previous month, on the Parlophone label in the UK and Imperial in the US. Nash would opine: "We knew it was a hit from the get-go." "

Johnny Theakston, AKA Shane Fenton (1944–1961) was an early rock and roll singer who was the original lead singer to perform under the Shane Fenton stagename in his band Shane Fenton and the Fentones. Theakston would have been the face of the band, but with his early death aged seventeen, his friend, Bernard Jewry, assumed the Shane Fenton name.

<i>What Goes Around...</i> (Hollies album) 1983 studio album by The Hollies

What Goes Around... is the 21st studio album by English rock/pop group, the Hollies. It includes their version of The Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love", which became their last US hit single. The Hollies reunited with Graham Nash for this album and for the following US tour. The LP was the band's first and last album with Nash since Butterfly (1967) and also their last one with lead singer Allan Clarke. Among the guest musicians, you can find Brian Chatton who was formerly keyboardist for The Warriors with Jon Anderson, and Flaming Youth with Phil Collins.

<i>Hollies Live Hits</i> 1977 live album by The Hollies

Hollies Live Hits is the first live album by the Hollies, released in 1977. It reached number four on the UK Album Chart.

References

  1. "Bobby Elliott". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  2. 1 2 Unterberger, Ritchie. "Biography of The Hollies". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Band profile of Bobby Elliott". Hollies.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  4. "Why The Hollies' Bobby Elliott prefers Reading's Hexagon to the Paramount Theatre in Manhattan (and what it has to d". Wokingham.Today. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Thompson, Dave. "Biography of Shane Fenton and the Fentones". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  6. "SHANE FENTON AND THE FENTONES". Official Charts. 1 November 1961. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  7. Bobby Elliott (2020). It's Ain't Heavy, It's My Story. Omnibus Press. p. 221. ISBN   9781913172206.
  8. Malcolm C. Searles (2021). Riding the Carousel. Troubador Publishing Limited. p. 367. ISBN   9781800463493.
  9. Michaels, Sean (15 March 2010). "Hollies send former members to pick up Hall of Fame accolade". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  10. "Mike Dolbear DRUMS". Mikedolbear.co.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  11. Moderator, Mr (18 May 2020). "Rock's Unfulfilled Fashion Ideas: Bobby Elliot and the Baldness Covering Hat". Rock Town Hall • Rock Music Discussion. Retrieved 19 February 2023.